It is a metallic mineral with a color that ranges from a steely gray to almost white.

It is closely related to calaverite, which is more purely gold telluride with 3% silver.

Sylvanite is photosensitive and can accumulate a dark tarnish if it is exposed to bright light for too long.

In the United States it occurs in California and in Colorado where it was mined as part of the Cripple Creek ore deposit.

Sylvanite is associated with native gold, quartz, fluorite, rhodochrosite, pyrite, acanthite, nagyagite, calaverite, krennerite, and other rare telluride minerals.