If you are making a dispel check to target a specific spell effect (for example: freedom of movement) do you have to correctly identify if the spell effect is from a spell or a magic item?
In this example; A target is either benefiting from the spell freedom of movement or Ring of Freedom of Movement.
Of course the DC will change if it is a spell of magic item, but the GM can handle that behind the screen.
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Depend on the magic item.
If it is something that cast the spell X a fixed number of times in a day it should be possible to dispel the effect without targeting the item (but you can find different interpretations at different tables, it isn't clear cut).
If it is a constant effect you need to target the item.
Specifically, the ring of Freedom of Movement say: "This gold ring allows the wearer to act as if continually under the effect of a freedom of movement spell."
If you dispel the effect it is automatically reactivated as soon as it is dispelled, so targeting the effect do nothing useful.
I'm referring to how an item is suppressed for 1d4 rounds when targeted by a successful dispel magic. But it looks like if you come across a buffed opponent, you will need to guess if the freedom of movement comes from a ring or a spell.
A DC 20 Knowledge(arcana) roll should be a decent substitute for a guess.
Yes, you have to identify the source, but your spellcraft/know (arcana) check should tell you that.
To suppress a magic item you have to target it, not the wearer.
And how constrained should targeting the magic item be? If the wizard is wearing two rings, do you need to guess the correct one, or is it enough to say you target the ring of freedom of movement.
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You have to choose the item you are casting the spell on. If you don't know which ring is a ring of freedom of movement then you can't target it any more than you could tell your magic missiles to strike "the bandit leader" if you don't know who that is.
Assuming your GM isn't a pedantic, take-everything-in-the-rules-as-strictly-uncompromising, you shouldn't know which ring is which. IF he is, then every single magical item will look like the one example in the rules. "Oh, that's a white-gold and feather inscribed ring." "Oh, this gold ring is clearly only the style of ring of protection +2 because you see it's a heavy steel shield engraved on it. If it was a turtle, it'd be +4."
Otherwise, you can target someone's ring even if you don't know whether it's magical or not, it might be. It might not. I would still roll a caster level check even if it wasn't so you didn't know.
The appearance of some magic item give an hit to what they do, but it is not as automatic as you make it.
I recall a section saying that a specific percentage of the magic items has an appearance that give an hit to what they do, but I can't find it. I am fairly sure that it isn't 100%, more like 20 or 30% of the items.