The invention, in one embodiment, is a method for preparing crystalline zeolites by (a) contacting a calcined essentially aluminum free borosilicate zeolite with an aqueous acid solution, thereby producing an at least partially deboronated zeolite; (b) contacting said at least partially deboronated zeolite with a solution selected from the group consisting of an aqueous aluminum salt solution, thereby producing an aluminosilicate zeolite; an aqueous gallium salt solution, thereby producing a gallosilicate zeolite; an aqueous iron salt solution, thereby producing a ferrosilicate zeolite; and mixtures thereof; and (c) where the contacting in step (b) occurs at a pH of not greater than about 3.5. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for preparing crystalline zeolites by contacting a calcined essentially aluminum free large or extra-large pore borosilicate zeolite with a solution selected from the group consisting of an aqueous aluminum salt solution, thereby producing an aluminosilicate zeolite; an aqueous gallium salt solution, thereby producing a gallosilicate zeolite; an aqueous iron salt solution, thereby producing a ferrosilicate zeolite; and mixtures thereof; and where the contacting occurs at a pH of not greater than about 3.5.