Typically massive to columnar in occurrence it also has been found as colorless to variably yellow cubic crystals.

It occurs associated with native silver, cerussite, iodargyrite, atacamite, malachite, jarosite and various iron–manganese oxides.

[3] It was first described in 1875 for occurrences in the Broken Hill district, New South Wales, Australia.

The rich Bridal Chamber deposit at Lake Valley, Sierra County, New Mexico was almost pure chlorargyrite.

[6] The name is from the Greek, chloros for "pale green" and Latin for silver, argentum.