The reactions of mixtures of rare earth (RE) acetates and aluminum isopropoxide (AI/RE = 3/5) in ethylene glycol at 300 degrees C afforded amorphous products. The IR spectra of these products were essentially identical with each other and indicated the presence of an acetate group and ethylene glycol moiety. When the content of RE (La-Gd) acetate in the starting mixture was increased, a crystalline glycol complex of RE oxide acetate was also formed together with the amorphous phase, but the reactions of acetates of the smaller RE ions (Tb-Lu) yielded amorphous products with wider compositions (AI/RE = 5/3-1/6). Phase-pure RE3Al5O12 (garnet) and RE4Al2O9 (monoclinic) were obtained by calcination of the amorphous products with the corresponding stoichiometric compositions at low temperatures.