The largest piece may fetch a price in the tens of thousands of euros, one expert said.

At the same time, is likely only a matter of time before Estonia's meteorites are placed under state protection, after reportedly the largest piece ever found at Kaali has been taken out of the country.

The Kaali meteorite struck Saaremaa an estimated 3,500 years ago, creating one of Estonia's most catastrophic natural disasters; the blast was accompanied by a meteorite shower.

These finds are highly prized, but Estonian law does not explicitly protect meteorites, creating a legal loophole, since meteorites are neither natural resources nor human-made artifacts, meaning they fall outside both mineral and heritage protection laws.

The loophole has allowed meteorite hunters with metal detectors to legally search for meteoritic iron outside protected zones.

As reported by ERR News, one such detectorist is Filip Nikodem, who, Eesti Ekspress reported, was joined by Andrzej Owczarzak, also from Poland.

In 2023, Nikodem discovered four iron fragments near the Kaali crater – but outside its protected zone, while the following year Nikodem found 10 more fragments, including one weighing 5.7 kilograms, bringing total finds to about 10.5 kilograms.

Nikodem has now put the fragments up for auction on Catawiki, an online auction platform focused on special items and collectibles, and Eesti Ekspress reported these have been snapped up by buyers for prices mostly in the hundreds of euros, and over a thousand euros in the case of some fragments, though the nearly 6-kilogram chunk is likely to fetch much more than that.

Associate professor Jüri Plado of the University of Tartu's geology department said: "Considering the high price of meteoritic material and the rarity of the Kaali meteorite, the market price of a 5.7-kilogram meteorite fragment could reach into the tens of thousands of euros."

The sales have also raised two questions: Is trading in Kaali meteorites legal, and can these be taken out of the country to be sold or not – though the Polish detectorists in this case have done everything above board, bringing finds to the Heritage Protection Board (Muinsuskaitseamet) in 2024, obtaining permission for the search, as well as completing detectorist training in Tallinn.

The board ruled that if a find made outside a protected monument and its protection zone is of meteoritic origin, it is a case of finders keepers; Estonia has no law which would also place meteoritic finds under protection, as is the case with archaeological finds.

For instance, a 2019 find by a detectorist of a striking 3rd century gold bracelet, also found on Saaremaa, had to be handed over to the authorities.

The future may see a different situation anyway – in fall 2024 Professor Plado applied to the Environmental Investment Center for support to organize the protection of Kaali meteorites, though this time the request was rejected due to a lack of funds – but it is likely only a matter of time before Estonia's meteorites are placed under state protection.

Nikodem himself said he was thinking about displaying some of the meteorite finds, adding "I'm afraid it won't interest many people," Nikodem told the author of this article a month ago.

The Kaali crater field remains a major tourist attraction and historically significant site. The main crater area once hosted a fortified settlement, sacrificial site, and iron-smelting area. A landscape conservation area was established in 1938, protecting the craters and surrounding cultural landscape.

Scientific testing at the University of Tartu confirmed the pieces found by Nikodem and Owczarzak contained nickel and other elements typical of meteorites.

Estonia's first president after the restoration of independence, Lennart Meri (1929–2006), included a vivid depiction of the meteorite strike in his work "Hõbevalgem."

Metals from the meteorites which it Kaali have long been found to have been used in smelting by people down the ages, and examples have been found in locations far from Estonia.

The meteorite crater on Saaremaa is open to the public to visit. It is also known for its unusual and protected flora.

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