Ag:ZrO2 nanocomposite films have been synthesized by a sol-gel dip coating process at room temperature, followed by irradiation using swift heavy ions. The effect of electronic energy loss and fluences on the evolution and consequently on the tailoring of plasmonic properties of films has been studied. The optical study exhibits that color of films converts from transparent in pristine form into shiny yellow when films are irradiated by 100 MeV Ag ions at a fluence of 3 x 10(12) ions/cm(2). However, irradiation by 120 MeV O ions up to the fluence of 1 x 10(14) ions/cm(2) does not induce any coloration in films. The coloration is attributed to the evolution of plasmonic feature resulting in a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) induced absorption peak in the visible region. Increase in fluence from 3 x 10(12) to 6 x 10(13) ions/cm(2) of 100 MeV Ag ions induces a redshift in SPR induced peak position from 434 to 487 nm. Microstructural studies confirms the conversion of Ag2O3 (in pristine films) into cubic phase of metallic Ag and the increase of average size of particles with the increasing fluence up to 6 x 10(13) ions/cm(2). Further increase in fluence leads to the dissolution of Ag atoms in the ZrO2 matrix. (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics