Nickel compositions for use in manufacturing nickel metal compositions, and specifically to methods of making basic nickel carbonates used to produce nickel metal compositions are disclosed. By varying the molar ratios of carbonates and bicarbonates to nickel salts, the methods provide basic nickel carbonates that produce superior nickel-containing solids that react more effectively with phosphorous-containing ligands. The phosphorous containing ligands can be both monodentate and bidentate phosphorous-containing ligands.