how do you know if a itunes gifted album has been redeemed

Hello there, Sophina.

The following Knowledge Base article should help you answer this:

Resend iTunes Gifts

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1541

To view if an iTunes Gift has successfully been redeemed, navigate to your Account Settings from the iTunes Store, and click "Manage Gifts" in the Purchase History. From this page, you will also have the option to edit the recipient address, and resend the gift (if not already redeemed):

Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.

Cheers,

Pedro D.

No longer accurate, at least on OS X:

http://puu.sh/mPIvh/3843753d9f.png

And clicking View (next to the item/app) just shows the option to Resend gift, which maybe implies if you can Resend, it hasn't been Received (they haven't accepted, whatever)?

Yeah the original answer is not helpful at all. You'd think they would consider this stuff while designing.