1.) No. Gauntlets are weapons that often come as a package deal WITH armor.
2.) Unfortunately, also no. That USED TO be the case, but it was errataed out several years back. Cestii, Gauntlets, Brass Knuckles, etc. used to work the way you want, but no longer.
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Any "weapon" that lets a monk get past DR is not an unarmed strike. You are now armed with whatever "weapon" you are using
Now what you can do is politely share this with your GM and ask if he'd like to change his mind. If he doesn't then he's enforcing his rule and you'll have to play with that, use a different character or quit.
I have read numerous threads here discussing whether gauntlets or gloves can be worn by Monks to overcome Damage Resistance. It seems the threads boiled down to "Ask your DM". So I asked him. He said "No, gauntlets are armor and monks can't wear armor." I pointed out that gauntlets are technically listed under weapons. He still argued that they're PART of a suit of armor.
Can anyone shed any definitive light here?
And any opinions on my REAL question...
If I, as a monk, wore cloth/leather gloves (or straps) that were studded with silver/cold iron/adamantine could I overcome the DR of monsters that had such DR AND STILL DO MY UNARMED damage as a monk?
I don't think the GM understands the part of armor all too well. Let's take for example, Full Plate. Here's its relevant description:
This metal suit comprises multiple pieces of interconnected and overlaying metal plates, incorporating the benefits of numerous types of lesser armor. A complete suit of full plate (or platemail, as it is often called) includes gauntlets, heavy leather boots, a visored helmet, and a thick layer of padding that is worn underneath the armor.
So, if the argument is "The Gauntlets are part of the armor," then you cannot wear the relevant slots that it covers. In the example of Full Plate, I see ~4-5 slots that it takes up: Hands, Feet, Head, Chest (and possibly Body too). I'd demand that if he's going to enforce the rule that Gauntlets are Armor (like I've seen several board members on here try to do), then he has to enforce all articles related to armor to be a part of that armor, and that ditching any articles that the armor came with means they're no longer wearing that armor. Devilish, but such is the Devil's Advocate.
Of course, there is always this passage he can cite:
Armor is always created so that if the type of armor comes with a pair of boots, a helm, or a set of gauntlets, these pieces can be exchanged for other magic boots, helms, or gauntlets.
But now this beckons another question: If Gauntlets can be so easily disposable from pieces of armor if Magical counterparts come along, are they really armor, or are they just a tool to help the armor feel complete?
The last bit of evidence is the lack of AC Bonus: EVERY ARMOR ITEM IN THE GAME HAS AN AC BONUS. Even some items that aren't armor, grant an AC Bonus. An Armor Bonus to AC, to be exact.
Gauntlets aren't even listed in the Armor table. So how is he getting "Gauntlets are Armor," when A. They don't exist in the Armor table, B. They don't grant an Armor Bonus to AC, or any bonus to AC, C. They are easily disposable for magical counterparts that aren't even Gauntlets, and D. They are properly defined as being a Weapon in the Weapon Table.
Your GM is just being stupid and ignorant about the subject matter, especially when there is so much evidence against Gauntlets being a source of armor, and evidence supporting Gauntlets being more of a weapon, or a magic item, than a suit of armor.
But to be honest, if he's pulling this much crap about Gauntlets, which are a sub-par option to begin with, I'd just not bother getting gauntlets. My personal suggestion for the DR issue, is work on getting an Amulet of Mighty Fists +5, as soon as possible. If you're not using weapons (understandable), that wealth can instead go to getting yourself a very powerful amulet that allows you to bypass all sorts of DR (except DR/-, and the Slashing/Piercing/Bludgeoning triage), as well as make you a damaging machine.