Safflorite occurs with other arsenide minerals as an accessory in silver mining districts.

The rare arsenide minerals are classified in Dana's sulfide mineral group, even though it contains no sulfur.

The color is crimson to pink and occurs as a secondary coating known as cobalt bloom on cobalt arsenide minerals.

Although native copper was the dominant ore mineral, chalcocite (copper sulfide) was sometimes present, and, especially in the Mohawk mine, copper arsenide minerals such as mohawkite and domeykite.