Acidic water leaching of jelly-like gels (wet gels) prepared from silicon and titanium alkoxides gives rise to a titanium concentration gradient in the gels, which are then dried and densified by heating to yield radial gradient refractive index (r-GRIN) glass rods. Rods of good optical quality, showing little scattering of an He-Ne laser beam, can be made from the dry gels with low bulk densities.