When from 0.1 to 6 percent by weight of crystallite growth promoter is intimately combined with agglomerated less than 0.1 micron grains of ferric oxide and strontium oxide, barium oxide and/or lead oxide the resulting admixture may be formed into strontium, barium, and/or lead ferrite bodies having a surprisingly high degree of crystallite orientation by maintaining the admixture at a temperature of from 500.degree.C to 900.degree.C for a period of not more than 24 hours to cause the oxides to react together and form ferrite crystallites and then directly hot-pressing the crystallites into an oriented-crystallite body at a temperature of from 600.degree.C to 1100.degree.C and a pressure of from 1,000 psi to 30,000 psi.
