Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of producing synthetic crystals (typically minerals) or comparable inorganic compounds by reactions of metal salts and metal oxyhydroxides under near-critical, critical or supercritical solvent conditions, avoiding thereby many of the difficulties associated with conventional solid state or wet chemistry synthesis. The metal oxyhydroxides are typically divalent or trivalent metals and the preferred solvent is typically (but not exclusively) water under near-critical, critical or supercritical conditions. The crystals so produced have a controlled particle size distribution. The crystals produced by the present invention also have morphologies with favorable properties for compaction into green bodies for subsequent sintering into near-net-shapes, approaching maximum theoretical densities. Avoidance of noxious by-products is another advantage of the present synthetic methods.