diff --git a/crates/quiver/tests/quiver.rs b/crates/quiver/tests/quiver.rs
index 3c0ab33..c3a27ec 100644
--- a/crates/quiver/tests/quiver.rs
+++ b/crates/quiver/tests/quiver.rs
@@ -826,6 +826,41 @@ fn column_desc_is_parameterized_by_the_logical_type() {
     assert!(MAYBE_AGE.metadata.is_empty());
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn column_descs_are_copy_debug_and_comparable() {
+    // `Utf8` and friends derive nothing, so a descriptor over one only compiles
+    // here because the impls put no bound on `L`:
+    const NAME: quiver::ColumnDesc<Utf8> = quiver::ColumnDesc::new("Typed", "name");
+    const OTHER: quiver::ColumnDesc<Option<i64>> = quiver::ColumnDesc::new("Other", "maybe_age");
+    assert_eq!(NAME, NAME);
+    assert!(format!("{NAME:?}").contains("name"));
+
+    let desc: quiver::ColumnDesc<Option<i64>> = Typed::COLUMN_MAYBE_AGE;
+    let copy = desc; // `Copy`, so `desc` stays usable below.
+    assert_eq!(desc, copy);
+    assert_eq!(desc, Typed::COLUMN_MAYBE_AGE);
+
+    // Same name and type, different owner → not equal.
+    assert_ne!(desc, OTHER);
+
+    // Declared metadata takes part in the comparison.
+    assert_ne!(
+        Annotated::COLUMN_CHUNK_ID,
+        quiver::ColumnDesc::<quiver::FixedSizeBinary<16>>::new("Annotated", "chunk_id")
+    );
+
+    // `Debug` names the fields, and skips the `PhantomData`:
+    let shown = format!("{desc:?}");
+    assert!(shown.contains("maybe_age"), "{shown}");
+    assert!(!shown.contains("PhantomData"), "{shown}");
+
+    // `DynColumnDesc` gets the same treatment:
+    let dynamic = desc.to_dyn();
+    assert_eq!(dynamic, desc.to_dyn());
+    assert_ne!(dynamic, OTHER.to_dyn());
+    assert!(format!("{dynamic:?}").contains("maybe_age"));
+}
+
 /// All columns required: unlike `Typed`, this gets `empty_record_batch`.
 #[derive(Quiver)]
 struct AllRequired {
diff --git a/crates/quiver_types/src/column_desc.rs b/crates/quiver_types/src/column_desc.rs
index 1d85916..bedc573 100644
--- a/crates/quiver_types/src/column_desc.rs
+++ b/crates/quiver_types/src/column_desc.rs
@@ -60,6 +60,47 @@ pub struct ColumnDesc<L: LogicalType> {
     _marker: PhantomData<fn() -> L>,
 }
 
+// Hand-written rather than derived: `#[derive]` would put the trait's own bound
+// on `L`, but a descriptor holds no `L` — only a `PhantomData<fn() -> L>`, which
+// is `Copy`, `Eq`, and `Debug` whatever `L` is.
+impl<L: LogicalType> Clone for ColumnDesc<L> {
+    fn clone(&self) -> Self {
+        *self
+    }
+}
+
+impl<L: LogicalType> Copy for ColumnDesc<L> {}
+
+impl<L: LogicalType> std::fmt::Debug for ColumnDesc<L> {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        let Self {
+            record_type,
+            name,
+            metadata,
+            _marker,
+        } = self;
+        f.debug_struct("ColumnDesc")
+            .field("record_type", record_type)
+            .field("name", name)
+            .field("metadata", metadata)
+            .finish()
+    }
+}
+
+impl<L: LogicalType> PartialEq for ColumnDesc<L> {
+    fn eq(&self, other: &Self) -> bool {
+        let Self {
+            record_type,
+            name,
+            metadata,
+            _marker,
+        } = self;
+        *record_type == other.record_type && *name == other.name && *metadata == other.metadata
+    }
+}
+
+impl<L: LogicalType> Eq for ColumnDesc<L> {}
+
 impl<L: LogicalType> ColumnDesc<L> {
     /// Describes the column `name` of `record_type`, which labels the errors
     /// (the name of the `#[derive(Quiver)]` struct, when there is one).
@@ -142,7 +183,7 @@ impl<L: LogicalType> ColumnDesc<L> {
     /// The declared [`metadata`](ColumnDesc::metadata) is dropped, since
     /// [`DynColumnDesc`] does not carry any.
     #[must_use]
-    pub const fn to_dyn(&self) -> DynColumnDesc {
+    pub const fn to_dyn(self) -> DynColumnDesc {
         DynColumnDesc::new(self.record_type, self.name)
     }
 }
@@ -162,6 +203,7 @@ impl<L: LogicalType> From<&ColumnDesc<L>> for DynColumnDesc {
 /// The untyped counterpart of [`ColumnDesc`]: it extracts a
 /// [`DynColumn`] (field plus array), with no datatype or
 /// nullability validation.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
 pub struct DynColumnDesc {
     /// The name of the `#[derive(Quiver)]` struct, for error messages.
     pub record_type: &'static str,