A process for recovering valuable metals from laterite ores and concentrates that are contaminated with iron is disclosed. The process includes reducing ferric ions to ferrous ions in a leach liquor containing a valuable metal and iron in solution using a reductant, neutralising the liquor to reduce the free acid concentration in solution to levels suitable for nickel precipitation; and precipitating the valuable metal using the reductant and seed particles under process conditions, including one or more of seed particle size, seed composition, and temperature, that are selected to maximise nickel precipitation and to minimise iron precipitation.