The number of sockets is chosen randomly between 1 and the max for the item type (4 for body armor, 6 for weapons, 3 for helms, 4 for shields), and then capped at the max for the specific item, based on type and ilvl. 1 Tal Rune + 1 Thul Rune + 1 Perfect Topaz + Normal Body Armorġ Ral Rune + 1 Amn Rune + 1 Perfect Amethyst + Normal Weaponġ Ral Rune + 1 Thul Rune + 1 Perfect Sapphire + Normal Helmġ Tal Rune + 1 Amn Rune + 1 Perfect Ruby + Normal Shield These work only for non-superior, non-low-quality white items. Horodric Cube Socketing Recipies for White Items Larzuk is the only way to add sockets to superior white items, however, so there are a few cases when it's worthwhile to spend your Larzuk socket on a white item, instead of saving it for an otherwise unsocketable set or unique item. The usefulness of that is limited, since you can only socket three items per character at Larzuk (one per difficulty as a quest reward), and it's more common for items to need less than max sockets to reach their true potential: 3 socket armor is much more valuable than four socket armor, because most of the good armor rune words use 3 sockets, and four sockets is much easier to find. He'll give it the maximum number of sockets it can have, which depends on item type and item level (which is hidden, but can be inferred if you know what monster dropped the item).

Larzuk is occasionally, if infrequently, a good choice for socketing a white item. The Horodric Cube recipes only work for non-superior items, which makes superior items with less than max sockets valuable, if they have the correct number for a popular item. There are two main ways to socket white items: the Horodric cube, and Larzuk's quest reward. You cannot add sockets to or remove sockets from an item that already has sockets, but you can add sockets to unsocketed items.

Diablo 2 getting a 4 socket shield