Nickel(II) compositions for use in manufacturing nickel metal (Ni(0)) 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 metal-containing solids that are well-suited to forming nickel-ligand complexes with phosphorus-containing ligands. The phosphorus-containing ligands can be monodentate or bidentate phosphorus-containing ligands.