This work presents the results obtained for a high-temperature superconducting ceramic, of the Y-Ba-Cu-O system, synthesized by solid state reaction from Y2O3, Y, BaCO3 and CuO, in one case, and Y instead of Y2O3 in the other. Its properties and structure depend on the choice of the starting states of Y. Use of elemental Y as a starting component made it easier to form a defect perovskite structure with lower values of cell parameters, compared with those obtained from Y2O3.