Arsenide-silver-uranium vein deposits are epigenetic concentrations of silver minerals, arsenides, sulpharsenides, sulphides, and accompanying chalcophile and siderophile elements, and of uranium oxides and silicates and accompanying lithophile (oxyphile) elements. Proportions of the ore constituents in these deposits differ substantially in different areas. For instance, the deposits in the Great Bear Lake area, Northwest Territories, contain a whole spectrum of uranium, silver, cobalt, copper, and associated minerals, whereas in the deposits in the Cobalt area, Ontario, uranium minerals are absent.

As demonstrated by analyses of paragenetic mineral sequences in the Jachymov deposit, Czech Republic, and the Eldorado deposit at Great Bear Lake, Canada, the introduction of uranium into these deposits took place at distinct stages in the mineralization process. Although the uranium and arsenide-silver assemblages may locally occur together, their deposition took place in separate mineralization stages (Ruzicka, 1971).

Because of the above-mentioned features, deposits of the arsenide silver-uranium vein type have been subdivided. The subtypes are arsenide vein silver-cobalt and arsenide vein uranium-silver.