We fabricated ellipsoid-shaped ZnGa(2)O(4) nanorods using a newly-designed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, different from the conventional methods. The optical properties of nanorods were studied using cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements. The nanorods displayed three distinct emissions centered at 360, 450 and 550 nm. The luminescence mechanism is thoroughly discussed and explained based on a detailed structural and compositional study with a transmission electron microscope (TEM) equipped with an electron energy loss spectrometer (EELS).