A method for producing ultra-high purity, optical quality, glass articles is disclosed which involves: 1. compacting metaloxide or metal loidoxide to granules having a mean particle size of less than about 1 millimeter; 2. optionally fully sintering the granules to produce high purity, artificial sand; 3. casting the granulesar artificial sand by conventional techniques, such as, slip casting, to form a high density, porous, green body; 4. optionally drying and partially sintering the green body; 5. optionally fully sintering the green body under vacuum, and 6. optionally hot isostatic pressing the fully sintered green body whereby the metal oxide or metalloid oxides is a pyrogenic silicon dioxide powder with a BET surface area of 30 to 90 m2/g, a DBP index of 80 or less, a mean aggregate area of less than 25000 nm2 and a mean aggregate circumference of less than 1000 nm, wherein at least 70% of the aggregates have a circumference of less than 1300 nm or a high-purity pyrogenically prepared silicon dioxide having metal contents of less than 0.2 μg/g.